Trail to Jail D'Amboise Leaves Appalachian Trail Hike to Bring His Passion for Dancing to PrisonBy DAMIAN PAGANO, Rutland Herald
Jacques d'Amboise calls himself the Johnny Appleseed of dance.
D'Amboise -founder of the National Dance Institute, the former principal dancer of the New York City Ballet and arguably the world's foremost ballet dancer- said the pseudonym illustrates his passion for teaching anyone and everyone to dance.
He has taught school children. He has taught the elderly. He has taught blind and deaf to move gracefully despite physical handicaps.
And Wednesday he taught a group of inmates at the Rutland jail to appreciate dance and a good story.
"Everybody should be instructed in the arts," he said. "We need water, shelter and food to survive, but the soul needs nourishment too. Arts are good for the soul."
D'Amboise, a lithe 65-year-old who has been hiking the Appalachian Trail to raise money for arts education, stopped at the jail at the request of facility administrators who heard about his trek on the "Today Show."
It was his first and only at a correctional facility on the 2,160- mile hike. But he said: "Everyone should learn to love dance, and I was just thrilled to hear from them."
And jail administrators were thrilled he accepted his invitation.
"Anything you can do to get these guys some recreational time is well worth it," said Pamela Cotter, the jail's coordinator of volunteer services. "And something like this- a new experience for them- is just great."
Cotter said the inmates had mixed feelings about recreational dancing, but "they'll try anything."
And many of them did.
They walked single file in to the jail's basketball court and sat in folding chairs under the watch of guards and Superintendent Keith Tallon.
Many crossed their tattooed arms and smirked at the effervescent d'Amboise, who was dressed in a bright red T-shirt, long brown pants and hiking boots.
But d'Amboise was ready for them.
He told them about growing up in the rough Washington Heights section of New York City and running with several gangs as a youngster.
His mother sent him to ballet classes to keep him off the streets, and before long, he said, he dropped out of high school to perform with the New York City Ballet under the tutelage of the great George Ballanchine.
Then he introduced Frank Serpico, a former police detective who exposed corruption in the New York City police department in the 1960's. A movie starring Al Pacino and a television series were produced about him. Serpico was there to support d'Amboise in his efforts- and had the inmates' attention.
Then came the dancing.
D'Amboise said he choreographed a special "trail dance" to communicate the spirit of his hike to people willing to learn. "It's a goofy dance," he said. "But during this hike my son and I have been meeting strangers and leaving as friends. I wanted to express that through dance, and I wanted to let you know that you are all my friends."
Reprinted with permission of the Rutland Herald
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